Desks for students in classroom settings are frequently of a simple design comprising a desk top and supporting legs. To provide the student with a compartment for storing books and notebooks, manufacturers have sometimes added a book rack to the underside of the desk top. At the request of many school districts, such a book rack is often made from a wire mesh or is otherwise made intentionally “porous” to make it difficult for a student to hide inappropriate objects within the book rack. Unfortunately, although such wire mesh or otherwise “porous” book racks are useful in retaining large items, such as books and notebooks, they are unsuitable for retaining smaller items, such as pencils, pens and rulers. There is therefore a need in the prior art for a book rack which overcomes this problem in the prior art.